Strengthening Torah Life. Advocating for the Community. Serving Each Individual. | | March 11, 2022 - 8 Adar II 5782 News from the Agudah:
- Mi k'amcha Yisroel. Agudas Yisroel's campaign to raise $10 million dollars for Jews in Ukraine has passed the 100% mark yesterday. This is a tribute to all of you, whose concern for acheinu kol bais Yisroel has brought us all together for this urgent need.
- Most of the money has already been distributed through Agudah's representatives in Ukraine and the surrounding countries. Unfortunately, the need far surpasses what we have raised so far.
- Per the psak of Chaver Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah Rabbi Shlomo Miller, Rosh Kollel and Av Beis Din of Kollel Avreichim Toronto, we raised our goal and we will continue our campaign based on the current critical need.
- Please join! This money will be distributed so that every single dollar will be put toward helping the refugee families. All the money is going to the rescue efforts, and no administrative or other costs are being collected from donations.
- You can donate by going to agudah.org/Ukraine or by calling 929.529.0200. You can mail a check to Agudath Israel, attn: Ukraine Fund, 42 Broadway, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10004. We are working with trusted partners "on the ground" to make sure that all donations goes to this pressing need, including such items as food, medical needs, additional security, and evacuation and housing costs. Please contribute generously. Thank you. Click here to donate.
- ""While the real success can only be measured in hindsight, in terms of the impact it seemed to have made, this may have been our best one yet," said Rabbi Shlomo Soroka." For the first time in two years, Agudath Israel of Illinois went on their Mission to Springfield. Read about this important meeting below.
- Yesterday, the New York State Education Department released proposed new regulations regarding "substantial equivalence". See below for Agudath Israel's statement.
- Purim: Agudath Israel of America is appealing to b'nei yeshiva and ba'alei batim to eliminate dangerous drinking on Purim. See below to read.
- The Midwest Agudas Yisroel Council of Synagogue Rabbonim is pleased to present Safah Berurah: The Halachos of of the Month of Adar and Purim. See below for more information and for a downloadable PDF.
- Bnos Newsletter: Download the Bnos newsletter for this Shabbos here. We are sorry that we don't have a Pirchei newsletter to share with this week.
- Elevate your child's Shabbos by joining Ki Heim Chayeinu's Masmidei HaShabbos and Shabbos Malkisa programs for boys, and girls, respectively. Download the Masmidei HaShabbos booklet here, and the Shabbos Malkisa booklet here. Enjoy!
- The Sugyos B'Daf Yomi shiur series continues this week Motzei Shabbos, Parshas Vayikra with Rabbi Yakov Furman, Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshiva Shaarei Chaim.
- Please note the schedule for next week's virtual Yarchei Kallah on Iyunim B'Hilchos Purim- see below for more details.
| | Agudath Israel of Illinois Mission to Springfield Returns with Emphasis on Safety and Education | | Photo Credits: Shaina Benhiyoun | | After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, Agudath Israel of Illinois' (AIOI) annual Springfield Mission is back, and as usual started before dawn. Rabbi Shlomo Soroka, AIOI's director of government affairs, led the mission, consisting of a representative group of nearly 50 members of Illinois' Orthodox Jewish community, with one common goal: advocating for and representing the Orthodox Jewish community of Illinois. The delegation, consisting of rabbis and lay leaders, nonprofit executives, school leaders and scholarship parents, and community members from different neighborhoods and districts, had a full schedule of productive and well attended meetings with many legislators. After a flurry of breakout meetings upon their arrival, the entire delegation met with House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch and Senate President Don Harmon. That was followed by an address from the Director of Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) General David Harris, and Terry Horstman, IDOR's director of communications and manager of the Invest in Kids Act scholarship program. The group later met with Senate and House Republican leaders Dan McConchie and Jim Durkin. One highlight of the day was meeting with Governor JB Pritzker. The delegation discussed the situation in Ukraine and thanked him for his support and commitment to fighting antisemitism, most recently demonstrated by including $20 million in funding for a state security grant program in his budget proposal and assisting with coordinating law enforcement resources. Another highlight of this year's mission was creating history with the first Daf Yomi Siyum at the Illinois State Capitol, which took place during a lunch reception. This year's agenda focused on two of the pillars of every community: safety, and education. Enacted in 2018, Illinois' tax credit scholarship program, the Invest in Kids Act (IIKA) has been transformative for the community, its schools, and most importantly, its children. AIOI has been advocating for program enhancements and discussed these proposed adjustments during their meetings. With antisemitic incidents rising across the country, including recent incidents in the Orthodox neighborhoods of Chicago, AIOI has been advocating for security funding. School transportation, important for both education and safety, was another priority discussed with elected officials. A state grant to subsidize AIOI's school transportation program is vital for it to continue. "While the real success can only be measured in hindsight, in terms of the impact it seemed to have made, this may have been our best one yet," said Rabbi Shlomo Soroka. "When everyday constituents are willing to make the long trip to the Capitol and share their stories, it leaves an impression and empowers us to advocate on their behalf." "Rabbi Soroka gave all of us the opportunity to see firsthand the impact and influence of Agudah's advocacy on behalf of our community," said attendee Moshe Siegal. "I think it was evident to all how Agudah is effectively representing our community's needs in a professional and meaningful way." "The impact of Rabbi Soroka's advocacy over the last few years was apparent from the deep respect and close relationship he enjoys with Springfield lawmakers," said Rabbi A.D. Motzen, national director of state relations for Agudath Israel of America. "The elected officials were familiar with Agudah's priorities and many of them commended Rabbi Soroka's exemplary representation of the community." | | Agudath Israel Statement on Proposed New York State Equivalency Regulations | | Agudath Israel of America acknowledges the New York State Education Department's release today of proposed new regulations regarding "substantial equivalence" of instruction. We will be studying these proposed regulations closely in the days ahead, but at first glance we note that they represent an improvement over the version that SED proposed in 2019 -- most notably, by establishing a series of alternate pathways to substantial equivalency. This is a positive development.
We also appreciate the proposed regulations' explicit instruction that "Reviews shall be informed by, and respectful of, the cultural and religious beliefs and educational philosophy that may drive the curriculum in nonpublic schools and be integrated with academic content in the delivery of instruction." This is an important foundational principle.
Yet despite these positive features of the proposed new regulations, we remain deeply concerned about the impact these regulations may have on many yeshivas across New York State. Most dismayingly, and despite numerous entreaties by Agudath Israel and other advocates for the yeshiva community, nowhere in the proposed regulations is there any mention of the need to take into account the educational value of religious studies in determining substantial equivalency. Yeshiva students devote long hours to the study of the Chumash, Mishnah, Talmud and various other religious texts – a course of study that is well known to be a rigorous academic discipline of the highest order. For a yeshiva to be judged on the quality of its educational program without taking into account these religious studies would make a cruel mockery of the review process. By ignoring this essential component of yeshiva education, the proposed new regulations may result in yeshivas having to make major changes to their school day schedules to be deemed substantially equivalent. This is entirely unacceptable.
We will continue to engage the SED and Board of Regents as the regulatory process moves forward, in the hope that any new regulations will fully respect the unique nature and essential role of yeshiva education. The stakes are high, and we cannot afford to sit on the sidelines. | | An Appeal to B'nei Yeshiva & Ba'alei Batim to Eliminate Dangerous Drinking on Purim | | For close to 20 years, the Agudah has shared guidelines for the use of alcohol on Purim, specifically how it relates to bochurim's drinking. This letter has been signed by many Roshei Yeshiva who joined to inform the community, and their talmidim, of this serious issue. You can download a copy of the letter in English only or in English and Hebrew. | | The Halachos of the Month of Adar and Purim | | The Midwest Agudas Yisroel Council of Synagogue Rabbonim is pleased to present a sefer that discusses the halachos of the month of Adar and Purim.
The sefer, Safah Berurah: The Halachos of of the Month of Adar and Purim, was compiled and written by Rabbi Yaakov Robinson, executive director of the Midwest Agudas Yisroel Council of Synagogue Rabbanim, and reviewed by Rabbi Shmuel Fuerst, Dayan, Agudas Yisroel of Illinois.
Click here to download a printable PDF. | | Schedule:
Motzei Shabbos, Parshas Vayikra, at 8:30 PM EST: Rabbi Yakov Furman, Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshiva Shaarei Chaim
Virtual Information:
| | Please note the schedule for next week. The shiurim will continue with the access information as follows:
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